


Another Thousand Times

by EmotionalSupportPuma



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Asexual Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Crush at First Sight, F/F, Fiona and Rhys are trans, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, Maya and Zer0 are ace, Other, Pining, Sibling Bonding, Team as Family, Trans Character, also fi and rhys consider each other like annoying siblings, bc you can pry the found family trope out of my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmotionalSupportPuma/pseuds/EmotionalSupportPuma
Summary: Fiona and Rhys might treat each other as annoying siblings, but their Vault Hunter crushing does not parallel each other at all. Obviously.
Relationships: Fiona/Maya (Borderlands), Rhys/Zer0 (Borderlands)
Kudos: 31





	Another Thousand Times

**Author's Note:**

> there will be a POV for each ship and then the final chapter for the both of them! title is lyric from devil town by cavetown

Fiona and Rhys were fundamentally different people, for many, many reasons. The least of all being how they approached romance. 

Rhys stumbled his way through awkward conversation after awkward conversation like a bumblebee trying to avoid a cobweb. The vast majority of the time? Right into the sticky tendrils, to be wrapped up and devoured at a more convenient time. He didn't have the slightest clue how to do anything more than put his foot in his mouth and be left for dead. It wouldn't have been surprising to learn that he'd never managed to score a relationship once in his measly-

"Alright, I get it. My pickup lines could use some work." Rhys scowled over at her.

"Obviously you don't get it if you think it's only your pickup lines that need the work."

"I'll have you know, I had a  _ very _ suave moment with a Vault Hunter back at that death race."

Fiona scoffed with enough force that it actually kind of hurt, "That's not what Sasha said."

" _ Sasha _ wouldn't have a good thing to say about me even if I had all the charm in the world-"

"Which you obviously don't!"

"So who's to say I wasn't charming?" Rhys continued with a pointed glare, "Zer0 flashed a little heart at me, which proves I had some effect."

"You're crushing on a  _ Vault Hunter _ ?" She asked with a giddy sort of sarcasm.

Excited and condescending all in one neatly packaged sentence. That was another difference between Fiona and Rhys. She could see a dangerous, attractive person and  _ not _ immediately collapse into a blubbering mess. Being a career criminal meant she ran into many attractive women that would probably sooner snap her neck than say a kind word about her, but Fiona could walk away without making a fool of herself. Rhys snorted in a loud, gross show of self-grown superiority.

"Oh, like you're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" It was her turn to scowl.

"Athena had you wrapped around her finger without even  _ wanting _ to. You agreed with, like, everything she said."

"I did not." Fiona said hotly, blood blossoming under her cheeks in a treasonous display, "And even if I did, could you blame me? She was terrifying, agreeing with her would just be an act of pure survival."

"At least I don't pine after married people." A stupid smirk played on his face.

It took every ounce of self control for her to not add ' _ she wasn't married back then _ ' and instead aimed a pointed kick at Rhys' fancy shoes. He jumped away with a yelp of indignation, wiping away whatever dust he had imagined Fiona kicked on them with the movement. Lips turning at the corners in a self-satisfied grin, she mimed playing a tiny violin. Rhys smacked her hands away and adjusted his tie.

"If you're just going to mock me the entire time, why are you even here?"

"Bold of you to assume my only reason for waiting here is to keep  _ you _ company."

"Bold of YOU to assume I assumed-" He jabbed a finger at her aggressively.

A new voice startled both of them, "You should probably quit while you're ahead, buddy."

Too busy trying to make sure they were the one that got the last word, neither Rhys nor Fiona had noticed two figures approaching them. The lithe shape of Zer0 was unmistakable in its strangeness. But their companion was unfamiliar to Fiona, which of course, was the reason she couldn't drag her eyes away from the woman. Yeah, that was  _ definitely  _ the reason.

Absolutely not the fact that this woman was nearly as tall as Zer0, which meant she was a noticeable amount taller than Fiona. Or that her hair was a brilliant shade of blue that couldn't be put into sufficient enough words even if she had all day to think about it. Eyes that hung somewhere between the silver of a moonlit night and the pale blue of a cloudless sky. Tattoos that glowed like nothing Fiona had ever seen befo- oh, shit were those  _ Siren _ markings? 

"Hey, hey Fiona," Rhys tapped her shoulder and looked quite like the cat who had gotten the cream, "it's rude to stare, you know."

Her mouth snapped shut with a click audible enough that Fiona was certain people would hear it all the way back in Hollow Point. Embarrassment painted her skin a blotchy red and green eyes fixed Rhys with a look that could level mountains, rather than risk making eye contact with this stranger. The mortification sent her heart skittering into the pit of her stomach. Rhys, to his own credit, met her glare with the most vindicated smile she'd ever seen.  _ No, no n-no no, no! This wasn't anything  _ like  _ his dumb crush on Zer0 _ . His expression said differently.

"Hello to you too, Rhys." The woman said scathingly.

"Oh, uh, nice to see you again. Didn't know Zer0 was bringing company."

They nodded, "We have some work left / If you do not mind waiting / Here a bit longer."

Rhys tripped over his own feet as he moved closer to Zer0, exclaiming that he didn't mind waiting in the slightest despite having complained about it to Fiona just fifteen minutes earlier. She would have called him out on that fact if the other woman hadn't stepped closer to her in turn. Up close the height difference wasn't nearly as stark, but her ambiance? About twice as devastating. This woman held herself with a confidence that was backed by the muscles tracing underneath pale skin. The heat under her cheeks only intensified.

_ Wait a minute _ .

In a heartbeat an image flashed in her mind. She'd seen this woman before, albeit in the black-and-white of a sketch, back in Hollow Point. The sharp angle of her nose and the way her eyebrows set in a movement somewhere between arrogance and...well, acceptance. It betrayed how common this sort of reaction was to her.  _ Maya _ , the name followed in a scrawl of cursive. Fiona swallowed thickly and did her best to meet the look with, what she hoped was, a breezy smile.

"Fiona, was it? My name's Maya." When they shook hands, warmth tingled at the ends of her fingers.

_ Don't say you knew that, that would be creepy,  _ "Your wanted poster doesn't do you justice."

In the silence that followed, just what had fallen out of her tongue-tied mouth hit her with the force of a freight train.  _ Oh shit, oh SHIT, what kind of creep says something like that- _ but Fiona's panic induced spiral was cut short by Maya throwing her head back and laughing. That was a better response than to be expected, if someone had that to  _ her  _ she'd have been quick to put them on the losing side of a gun. This Vault Hunter treated it like the most interesting first impression she'd experienced in awhile. Which was saying quite a bit, given how insane Pandora was known for being.

Maya shot a glance sideways, "Zer0, you never told me Rhys had such a charming friend."

"I told you before / That she was a hustler / By trade, and damn good." They said, while Rhys raised his eyebrows at her.

"So you did. Well, it's nice to meet you at last, Fiona." 

Her heart skipped a beat or three at the words. Hearing that someone as infamous as Zer0 viewed her skills in high regard would have been enough to stoke her pride, but hearing that they'd said so to other Vault Hunters left Fiona scrambling to put a reply together. This intimidating woman, a  _ Siren _ no less, had known her name. Her smile stretched ear to ear and she knew when this was over Rhys would never let her hear the end of it. But  _ Maya _ knew her name  _ and _ called her charming, so who was the real winner?

"We should probably / Get going, you know, Maya / And get this over with." 

"Yes, I know. That way you can get back to your boyfriend and play bodyguard for the rest of the evening." 

Zer0 flashed an indignant frowny face at her, "That is a serious job / And Rhys is not my boyfriend-"

"Nope! Nada! No way!" He broke in, as if anyone here needed the extra reassurance.

"...so, can we leave now?" 

With their haiku finished, they tilted their head questioningly. Rhys was still flushed crimson as a skag with a sunburn and all traces of the earlier smugness had vanished. At least  _ she _ had a bit of a poker face in her embarrassment. His complexion did little to hide the blush, and rather made the image of cherry-red cheeks pop like neon sign, while Fiona escaped with nothing more than slightly darker ears and  _ maybe _ her nose too. Too busy scrutinizing Rhys, she didn't realize how close Maya had gotten until a hand clapped on her shoulder. 

"Hey, you were looking to get with the rest of the Vault hunting crowd, right?" She continued, hopefully missing how Fiona nearly jumped out of her skin at the contact, "We could use some extra hands with this job."

"Uh, yeah. I'm down for that."

The minute the words left her mouth Fiona could feel Rhys' stare burn through the side of her head. Despite having been embarrassed mere moments before, he was quick to wiggle his eyebrows at her. It was a bit like having Sasha tease her, if she was several shades dumber and less competent. She resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and instead subtly flicked him off behind her back. Then another idea struck her; hey, why should she be the only one risking humiliation in front of a Vault Hunter? 

Fiona slung an arm over his shoulders, "How many extra sets of hands do you need? Rhys can be capable once in a blue moon."

Rhys looked to be somewhere between offended at the slight and horrified over being offered up. The Vault Hunters glanced at one another, almost like they could communicate with just the look. Perhaps they had worked together enough that it really was possible. Fiona wondered if there would be a day she would do the same with those close to her. Maybe with Sasha, they'd spent their lives  _ having _ to read one another at a glance, but Rhys or Vaughn? No, they were simply too different.

"I-I think you three will be fine on your own, I've got...uh, paperwork! Lots of paperwork to do." 

"You're going to do paperwork  _ here _ ?" Maya squinted at their surroundings.

"Uhhhh, yes?" Rhys blinked dumbly, "This old gas station is the perfect place. No distractions."

"Been in a Vault and he's still scared senseless of some good ol' fashioned Pandoran violence." Fiona crowed as she continued to half-strangle him.

"Did you forget how many times we almost  _ died _ while getting to that Vault? I'd like to continue living, you know."

After another minute of arguing in vain Rhys gave in at last. He looked like the ugly duckling, awkwardly trailing after Zer0 as they headed to the job. Clear out an old camp that had been recently taken over by a clan of bandits. It sported a working fast-travel machine, which meant the place would make for a great pit stop for Vault Hunters moving between jobs. A chance for Fiona to show that she  _ really  _ meant it when she said she wanted to be a Vault Hunter now. 

The camp itself was scarcely larger than, say, a varkid farm, but it made up for its size with an imposing maze of fences. Barbed wire and other various, sharp instruments were strewn along it like Mercenary's Day decorations. There would be no climbing over it for a surprise entrance. Fiona was given the task of showing off her stealth, circling around until she could discern just two entrances. One for Zer0 and Rhys to take, one for Maya and Fiona to take.

A turn of events that left her thoughts spinning off in a useless panic. Fiona had to make sure everything played out correctly, there wasn't any wiggle room with this job. It was an assessment  _ and _ a first impression on an attractive woman. If this had been a mission that involved words or trickery, it would have been a piece of cake. She was a terrible shot with a gun. Better if she had a moment to carefully consider and aim, but definitely terrible if on the fly.

But if Fiona had learned anything over her years of being a con artist, it was that confidence went a long way in pretty much every situation. If  _ you _ believed you were competent than  _ other _ people were more likely to think so too. She squared her shoulders and flashed a dashing grin at Maya, who rolled her eyes as she returned the smile. 

Slipping through the gate was simple, too simple of course, without even a guard posted. Instead they were greeted with two forking paths. Maya started to examine both entrances warily, but Fiona tapped her shoulder. Pointing out the fact that one of them had a well-worn track in the dirt, she led the way further into the camp. A maze might deter the average Pandoran psycho, but as with most things Fiona had found, things were far easier to figure out if you just paid the barest amount of attention. The bandits that lived here had unknowingly betrayed the entrance by taking the right path every time they came in or out.

Maya held her back as they reached what appeared to be the real and final entrance. Before they could argue over who went in first, shouts began to ring out from the camp. Fiona pulled out her weapon and darted through on instinct, her companion swift on her heels at an almost uncomfortably close distance. But it didn't last as Maya raised an arm at the first bandit she spotted. It took a phenomenal amount of effort not to stare dumb-struck as she snatched the man up in an orb of purple...something.

With a target immobilized like an offering, Fiona aimed a careful shot to dispose of him instantly. The two of them turned out to be a rather fitting team as they worked their way through the camp. Maya was an accurate enough shot that she could go after enemies that weren't phaselocked, while leaving her snared foes for Fiona to pick off. She wasn't the best shot, but she sure knew how to pick out a perfect place to shoot  _ from _ .

Before long the commotion was cleared enough that she could afford a serious assessment of their surroundings without risking her own life. Fiona shifted on the balls of her feet and eyed every surviving bandit with the sharpness of a hawk surveying an exposed rabbit's nest. Every weakness noted as she considered her next target. Directly across the camp she spotted Zer0, slicing their way through two bandits in tandem. Rhys stared at them with what could only be described as "heart eyes", like a rescued damsel-in-distress, while Zer0 looked at him the way a mother skag might look at its young. Which is to say, Fiona hadn't the slightest idea on how to read the body language of a skag and was in a similar boat with Zer0's body language.

Maya stopped beside her and followed her gaze, letting out a soft chuckle that shouldn't have scrambled her insides the way it did. In an effort to distract herself from the heat, Fiona began picking off bandits again. Her aim had improved significantly since the last time she practiced on live targets. Hopefully that didn't have anything to do with the fact that she was desperate to focus on anything other than her spiraling attraction to Maya.  _ Because I'm different from Rhys, I'm  _ not _ going to moon over this stranger right now, _ Fiona insisted internally.

"Tryna outdo your friend?"

She frowned momentarily, "I don't need to try to outdo Rhys."

"So, if that's not it," Maya bumped their shoulders together as she spun around to attack, "then you must be trying to impress someone."

"Who would I be trying to impress here?" Fiona responded with a measured flippancy.

"Well, you've already impressed Zer0..." A pause as their backs pressed together. "And I doubt it's Rhys since you treat him like an annoying sibling." They were apart again within moments, as Fiona aimed a shot at a corrosive barrel. 

"He sure acts like one."

"So, that leaves me."

Fiona squinted in mock-annoyance, "No need to get cocky over it, you  _ were _ the one who invited me along. I just want to make sure I'm performing like a real Vault Hunter."

"I think a  _ real _ Vault Hunter would showboat a bit more."

"Oh, like you're doing?"

"If I was showboating right now you wouldn't need to ask that question."

Fiona turned to spit out some sort of snarky reply, but the words shriveled in her throat. In the couple of seconds that Maya turned away to phaselock someone, a large skag leapt through the broken window of a building nearby. A vivid green collar and split chain hung from the creature's neck haphazardly. It whirled on the two of them, charging forward with reckless abandon. Before her Fiona saw two options and not nearly enough time to decide between them. 

She lunged forward and hooked her boot around one of Maya's legs. One swift yank and they toppled over together, leaving the skag to sail right over them as it leapt. There wasn't enough time for a purposeful landing, so Fiona would have to hope she didn't crush the air out of both their lungs. Maya twisted her left hand as they hit the ground. The skag was caught in a shimmery orb, while the Siren coughed her breath into working once more. 

With the skag momentarily deposed, Fiona was made suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the position her quick-thinking had left them in. A hip bone pressed close enough to her own that it hurt. The way Maya's right arm was hooked around Fiona's left to help steady her. Blue lips quirked in a smirk that was as annoying as it was heart-scrambling. Like she had planned for something like this to happen, or expected it rather, despite the chaos of this fight.

She staggered to her feet quickly enough to make her head spin. Then she reached out to help Maya up, Fiona might have been vehemently denying this growing attraction but she wasn't going to be  _ rude _ , the Siren using her free hand to finish off the skag with a fancy-looking maliwan pistol. The beast collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll, eyes bulged out with pain in its last moments. Fiona almost pitied the thing for a moment.

" _ Are you two finished / Or would you like a minute / Maybe a room? _ " Zer0 appeared suddenly, flashing an annoyingly smug emoji.

Fiona tried to defend herself, but was cut off as Maya moved over to punch them in the shoulder. It was obvious that they were only trying to get back at Maya for messing with them and Rhys earlier. The embarrassment still painted her skin splotchy, but she was beginning to understand the dynamics between the other Vault Hunters. Zer0 and Maya were people that might  _ seem _ enigmatic and lofty compared to her own band of would-be Vault Hunters, but throw them in with  _ their _ crew and the goofiness made an appearance. Even Rhys observed this interaction with an oddly affectionate smile.

The air was still within the camp at last. All that remained was to loot the place and connect the fast-travel station to the Crimson Raiders hub station in Sanctuary. Fiona still didn't consider herself acquainted enough to have that honor, so she left the machines to the others and began poking around. She hadn't intended to be out on a job when she first came to bug Rhys while he waited, so that meant she had less space for hoarding loot. At least she was well-versed in spotting the most lucrative pieces at a glance.

A few pocketed items later, footsteps approached her from the side, the pad of them loud enough that she knew it was Rhys without even glancing up. Fiona only looked over when the silence remained between them for longer than normal. He was watching Zer0 and Maya mess with each other, with the same expression from earlier. It was ridiculously soft and even she couldn't find it in herself to poke fun at him for it. He was absolutely smitten with Zer0.

"Happy I dragged you along after all?"

Rhys startled like he had forgotten she was there, "Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks for that. It's been awhile since I've been out with Zer0 on equal footing."

"I take it you hire him for protection frequently?" Fiona asked with a knowing smile.

"Well...don't tell anybody just yet, but-" He glanced around as if there was anything left alive other than the four of them, "They're going to come work for me. In Atlas. Like...permanently."

The news startled her for some reason, like Fiona was seeing Zer0 in a new light all of the sudden. It wasn't as though she knew everything about Zer0, but one could confer a lot from a Vault hunting assassin. They weren't the type of person she would peg as, well, any type of corporate worker. Even if it was just a job like being Rhys' bodyguard. 

"They must respect you a lot." She said at last, tilting her head to the side. 

Rhys beamed, "I know, right? I thought they'd shoot me down for sure, but no, we're gonna be  _ together _ . I mean, working together."

"You  _ wish _ the two you were together."

It was Rhys' turn to swat at her with feigned offense. The blow was scarcely tougher than a headbutt from a skag pup, but she pretended to be knocked aside anyways, like she used to when Sasha was little. It felt as though ages had passed since the last time she could really goof off, the hectic events surrounding the Vault of the Traveller had left her exhausted. Learning to run with real Vault Hunters had left her busy. Having the ability to relax again felt more freeing than she expected it to. It also betrayed how much Fiona had come to trust Rhys and Zer0 without realizing.

"So, what's up with you and Maya?"

She recoiled at the sudden question, "Nothing's up. You know her better than I do, we literally just met today."

"I know  _ that _ ." Rhys sniffed like he thought Fiona was purposefully dodging the question, "But you've been blushing the entire time. I don't even remember you being that weird over your crush on Athena."

"It was  _ not _ a crush."

"Telling yourself that doesn't make it true."

Fiona glared at him, "Fine, maybe it was a crush. Emphasis on  _ was _ ."

"The point is: you like her, right?"

She didn't give him the satisfaction of a verbal response. Green eyes flicked over to the two Vault Hunters for scarcely a second, but it was enough of a confirmation for Rhys. Or perhaps he had asked the question while already fully believing in his own answer. Fiona didn't find it as irritating as she ought to have. Did she like Maya? There hadn't been time for a definitive answer, obviously, but she knew her own tastes frustratingly well. Maya was attractive and dangerous; she'd never stood a chance. Yeah, it was safe to say she would like the Siren.

"Zer0's crew is big on getting drinks after a successful mission." Rhys added meaningfully.

"Are you trying to set me up on a date? With a Vault Hunter?"

"You're a Vault Hunter too now, don't forget." He pointed out, "And I'm just saying that if Maya suggests you go out for drinks, don't turn her down."

Fiona scoffed, "I'm not a scaredy-cat like you."

"Hey, I asked Zer0 to come work for me at Atlas. On another planet at that and the last I checked you were still single."

"Touche." For once she had to concede that point to Rhys, he  _ was _ putting himself out there. 

"You psych yourself out too much." Rhys said knowingly and bumped their shoulders together, "Too much thinking."

Fiona snorted, "Oh, like you don't? You'd have an anxiety attack over choosing your dinner."

"I'm just trying to help you out here." He said, giving her a last, incredibly pointed look before the others reached them.

She watched the way Zer0 approached thoughtfully. Still measured and cat-like in their grace, but they tilted their head towards Rhys immediately. Like he was the one that mattered the most out of the four of them. Somewhere in her chest, Fiona found herself feeling rather proud of her idiot friend. He'd found someone to crush on, in this utter shithole of a planet, and was finding a way to make it work. That was better luck than most people on Pandora got.

After another few minutes of conversing, and after double-checking all of their loot, Rhys and Zer0 bid them farewell. It wasn't until after they reached the fast travel station and disappeared that Maya cleared her throat. Fiona felt her cheeks grow hot in preparation, while her mind danced nervously over whether or not Rhys would be right. She was a con artist that could slip on any persona with ease, but being herself around someone? Utterly mortifying it seemed.

"So, what's your take on them?" Maya asked with a conspiratory grin.

"Rhys and Zer0?" She asked and immediately regretted the stupid question, "Uh, I mean, who else would you be talking about? They're...cute. Rhys can be a dense motherfucker, but he really likes them."

"Yeah, he's definitely weird. I hope they work out. It's about time Zer0 found a squishy, little human to follow around like a mother hen."

"Me too. If only because I'm gonna be the one to suffer through Rhys' ugly sobbing if they don't.

At that Maya snorted loudly. It was a noise that, while mildly unattractive to any regular person, betrayed a starkly human demeanor to the ethereal person standing beside her. Oh, fuck, was Fiona a hopelessly pathetic romantic at heart. Like seriously they'd just met  _ today _ . She needed to sit down and have a serious talk with her fluttering heart about this ridiculously fast-paced crushing. Had it been that long since she entertained the notion of  _ liking _ someone like some schoolkid? 

She needed to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand and-

"Anyways, you wanna go grab some drinks?" Maya asked.

As she did, the Siren leafed through her own looted items one more time. It gave Fiona a precious few moments to gather her wits again. Her instincts should be trusted, right? To balk at the thought of letting herself pursue someone romantically, because really a con artist didn't have room for a relationship. A Vault Hunter probably didn't either. The smart thing to do would be to keep things professional and not give herself the chance to drunkenly point out how pretty Maya was (because Fiona was a bit of a lightweight and she knew it).

Maya looked up at her again and cocked her head to the side, awaiting the answer to her question. Fiona knew what she had to do.

"Ye-, uh, yeah! Drinks sound great."

**Author's Note:**

> Obvs I'm a huge fan of Fiona/Maya, but I also like Zerhys a whole bunch. After that I realized the ships just had too many potential parallels to NOT write something for them ya know? Anyways yea I always write both Fiona n Rhys as trans, and Maya n Zer0 as ace. I doubt either will come up but just know that they're always written that way.
> 
> if ya wanna see excerpts of writing before they're finished or just my shitposts, my borderlands tumblr is tannithvibes!


End file.
